OpenAI Removes Invite Codes for Sora Video Tool — Expands Access and Begins Monetization

OpenAI has just taken a bold step toward mass adoption of its AI video generation platform Sora, officially removing the invite-only restriction and opening access to users in the United States, Canada, Japan, and South Korea.

This move marks the first major expansion of Sora since its initial limited rollout earlier this year. For the first time, users in Japan and South Korea can join the platform, potentially adding millions of new creators to the rapidly growing AI video ecosystem.

OpenAI removes invite codes for Sora video tool

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Wider Access, Time-Limited Availability

Until now, users needed an invite code to experiment with Sora’s powerful text-to-video generation. But starting this week, anyone in the four eligible regions can download the Sora app from Apple’s App Store and log in directly using their existing ChatGPT credentials — no waiting list, no invitations.

However, OpenAI made it clear that this expansion is temporary. The company described it as a “time-limited access phase”, primarily meant to test server performance, compute load, and user feedback before potentially tightening access again.

This strategy allows OpenAI to analyze how real-world demand impacts its infrastructure, as each video generation requires massive GPU resources — far more than typical AI chat interactions.

The Push Toward a Paid Model

With user growth accelerating, OpenAI is now transitioning toward a paid model to make Sora economically sustainable. The platform currently allows 30 free video generations per day, but that generosity might soon end.

Bill Peebles, head of OpenAI’s Sora division, explained on social media:

“Eventually we will need to bring the free gens down to accommodate growth — we simply won’t have enough GPUs otherwise. But we’ll be transparent as it happens.”

To offset the heavy compute costs, OpenAI has introduced $4 credit bundles, which give users 10 additional video generations once they exhaust their daily free quota.

These changes underline the company’s growing need to monetize high-demand tools. Each 10-second Sora video reportedly consumes GPU power equivalent to thousands of ChatGPT queries, with actual compute costs estimated between $0.50 and $2.00 per video — a huge expense at scale.

Introducing the “Sora Economy”

Beyond user payments, OpenAI is also laying the groundwork for a broader economic ecosystem around its video platform — what it calls the “Sora Economy.”

Under this model, copyright holders and creators could earn compensation when their intellectual property appears in AI-generated videos.

“We imagine a world where rightsholders have the option to charge extra for cameos of beloved characters and people,” Peebles said.

The company plans to roll out granular control features that let content owners dictate how their characters, brands, or likenesses are used within AI-generated clips. This marks a notable shift away from OpenAI’s previous opt-out approach, which many artists and studios criticized for lack of transparency.

If successful, this system could help OpenAI avoid copyright disputes and instead create collaborative financial partnerships with rights holders — effectively turning Sora into a shared revenue platform rather than a legal gray zone.

Balancing Innovation and Economics

The evolution of Sora highlights a growing challenge across the AI industry: balancing technological innovation with sustainable economics.

While OpenAI continues to push the boundaries of creative AI tools — from ChatGPT to DALL·E and now Sora — the cost of providing free, high-quality generations remains enormous. As the company experiments with paid credits and content licensing, it’s clear that the future of AI-generated media will hinge not just on creativity but on economic balance.

Still, for millions of creators now gaining access to Sora for the first time, this week’s update feels like a glimpse into the future — one where anyone can generate cinematic-quality video from simple text using the same platform that’s redefining the boundaries of generative AI.